Yoshta is a hybrid culture that has become popular because of its stamina and unpretentiousness. This plant rarely gets sick and grows in dense hedges. We will learn about all the features of this hybrid, how to plant and propagate it.
Yoshta
Yoshta has no thorns
Yoshta is undemanding to care
Hybrid story
At the beginning of the 20th century, enthusiastic breeders decided to cross blackcurrants with gooseberries to get a hybrid that borrowed the best qualities from their ancestors.
The breeders expected to receive the crop:
- thornless;
- high-yielding;
- with vitamin berries;
- resistant to terry and kidney mites.
Hybrid tried to create breeders of several countries - Germany, USA, Hungary, Sweden. In Russia, this work was carried out by IV Michurin. But all attempts ended in failure - hybrids either died or were fruitless.
The result was achieved only in 1970, when genetic engineering, radiation and chemicals began to be used in breeding work. The creator of the hybrid was German breeder Rudolf Bauer.
Its name is yoshta, the hybrid was obtained by adding the first letters of the words Johannisbeere and Stachelbeere, which in German means currants and gooseberries, respectively.
Yoshta - a hybrid obtained by crossing such cultures:
- black currant;
- spread gooseberries;
- gooseberry
Culture Description
Yoshta significantly surpassed her ancestors in size. From afar, the shrub looks more like a currant - because of the dark berries. But upon closer inspection, it turns out that the hybrid has a lot of differences from both ancestors.
Appearance
The main feature of yoshta is dense and tall bushes with a wide crown, this is what allows the plant to be used to create hedges.
What a bush looks like:
- height - up to 2.5 m;
- number of branches - up to 20 pieces;
- roots are powerful, reach a depth of 35-40 cm;
- flowers - five-leafed, bright yellow or burgundy (color depends on the variety);
- leaves are large, glossy;
- buds are collected in inflorescences, which are densely strewn with branches;
- fruits are collected in clusters, each with 4-6 fruits.
Yoshta has few branches, so they do not have to be cut off all the time, unlike many other garden shrubs. Flowering lasts 14-18 days, then berries appear.
Berries
Yoshta begins to bear fruit in the second year of life, reaching maximum fruiting in 3-4 years. The first berries are picked in July, and full-fledged harvesting begins in late July or early August.
The average yield of yoshta is 4-6 kg per bush. But there are varieties that yield 10-12 kg. Yoshta berries are securely attached to the petioles. The fruits have a rather pleasant aroma, vaguely reminiscent of currants, inside there are small seeds.
Fruit characteristics:
- weight - 4-6 g;
- shape - elongated, oval or round;
- the skin is dense, glossy, black and purple;
- the taste is sweet, with a nutmeg flavor.
Advantages and disadvantages
The hybrid bred by the Germans was not as good as the breeders who wanted to get the perfect crop dreamed of. Yoshta, along with advantages, has a number of disadvantages.
In yoshte, vitamin C is less than in currants, but 2-4 times more than in gooseberries - about 1000 mg per 100 g of berries.
Pros:
- powerful bushes can serve as a hedge - dense and does not require special care, including special pruning;
- ease of picking berries due to the lack of thorns;
- disease and pest resistance;
- sweet taste of fruits with slight sourness;
- decaying and transportable fruits;
- quick adaptation to the environment;
- undemanding to leaving;
- ripe berries continue to stick to the branches and do not fall to the ground.
Minuses:
- low yield (half that of gooseberries);
- genetically modified product - for many gardeners this factor is important;
- the bush requires considerable space for growth;
- refers to partially pollinated plants.
Yoshta: benefit and harm
The breeders sought to create a hybrid, the berries of which carried the beneficial properties of both "parents" - currants and gooseberries. And to a certain extent they succeeded.
Yoshta fruits contain:
- vitamin C - increases immunity, restores tissues, rejuvenates the body;
- routine - a powerful antioxidant that slows down aging and improves vascular elasticity;
- potassium - normalizes the work of the musculoskeletal system, nervous and vascular systems, activates brain activity;
- iron - gives the body energy;
- iodine - normalizes hormonal levels.
Yoshta fruits also contain a lot of copper, pectins, glucose, sucrose, phytoncides and natural acids.
Useful properties of yoshta berries:
- increase hemoglobin;
- accelerate metabolic processes;
- promote the formation of collagen (the elasticity and firmness of the skin depends on it);
- normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
- prevent periodontal disease, pain in bones and joints;
- have anti-inflammatory and bactericidal action;
- normalize blood pressure;
- promote weight loss.
Yoshta can be consumed by diabetics, as it has a low sugar content.
Contraindications:
- individual intolerance and allergic reaction;
- tendency to thrombosis;
- ulcer, gastritis, colitis, Crohn's disease.
If a person is allergic to gooseberries or currants, yoshta is better not to eat.
Popular varieties
If you want to plant yoshtu on the site, keep in mind that there are several varieties of this hybrid crop. When choosing, consider not only the characteristics of the varieties, but also the purpose for which the bush is planted.
Popular yoshta varieties:
- Yohini. Height - 2 m, width - 1.5 m. Leaves are similar to currant, but do not smell. The fruits are sweet, round, with a dessert flavor. Productivity - 10 kg per bush.
- Moreau. The variety tolerates frosts well. Height - 2.5 m. A very productive variety - up to 12 kg from the bush.
- Rext. Frost-resistant variety resistant to kidney mites and diseases. Height - up to 1.5 m. The leaves are similar to gooseberry. Fruits are black, rounded, weighing 3 g. Up to 5 kg of berries are collected on one bush.
- Chrome. This variety has thick branches. Height - up to 2.5 m. Gooseberry leaves. Kroma has an interesting feature - first, the berries have a gooseberry flavor, and then currant.
- EMB. Drought tolerant variety. Height - 1.7 m, width - 1.8 m. Fruits weigh 5 g each. Tastes like gooseberries. Possible kidney mite damage.
Features of planting and growing
To get the maximum effect from growing yoshta, take into account all the nuances of planting. In accordance with her preferences, they select a site, then prepare the soil and buy healthy seedlings.
Seat selection
Most of the Yoshta varieties grow successfully in areas with good lighting, without winds and drafts. But direct sunlight is contraindicated for the bush.
What soils does Yoshta prefer:
- Nutritious and friable, with good air and moisture permeability. Fortified with organic matter and high in potassium. The best soils for yoshta are chernozem and fertile loams.
- The culture grows well on moist, but not swampy soils. Dryness of the soil leads to crumbling of fruits and drying of shoots, excess moisture - to rotting of the roots.
No special preparation of the soil for yoshta is required. But there are exceptions when the site is overgrown with weeds and the land is extremely barren. It is recommended to dig the soil and make rotted manure - 15 kg per 1 sq. Km. m
Some nurseries selling yoshta seedlings recommend not making special planting pits, adding humus and mineral fertilizers during digging in the fall - 1-2 buckets of organic matter and 1 liter of ash.
Sapling selection
The nursery sells seedlings with closed and open roots. In the second case, it is possible to assess the state of the root system.
How to choose a good seedling:
- You cannot take specimens with dry and weathered roots - if such plants take root, they will grow very slowly. The root system must be fresh and moist.
- Check the bark - pick it up a little, if it's green - the seedling is alive. In high-quality planting material, the bark is smooth and elastic, if it is wrinkled, then the seedling has been dug for a long time.
For seedlings purchased in the fall, be sure to cut off all the leaves. Do this carefully so as not to damage the kidneys in the sinuses. Before transporting open-rooted seedlings to the planting site, wrap them in a damp cloth and place in a plastic bag.
Spring seedlings are best taken with unopened buds. Yoshta in containers can be planted throughout the growing season - while it’s warm outside. But if it's hot, the young plant is shaded with a protective screen.
Landing dates
There are no exact dates for disembarkation of the yoshta, since they depend on the climate of the region and current weather conditions. In the southern and middle latitudes, disembarkation begins earlier, in the northern latitudes - later.
Yoshta is planted in open ground twice a year:
- In the spring... Before the start of sap flow. It begins when the temperature of the soil at a depth of 0.5 m reaches +6 ... + 9 ° С. In temperate latitudes, this period occurs in April.
- Autumn. Landing is recommended in the first weeks of September.
Planting pit preparation
Pits are prepared 2-3 weeks before the alleged planting of seedlings. This allows the fertilizer to dissolve well and be absorbed into the soil.
How to prepare the landing pits:
- Dig holes 50x50x50 cm in size.Leave a distance of 1.5-2 m between adjacent grooves if the culture is planted for the sake of fruits, if for a hedge - 0.5 m.
- When digging a hole, set aside the excavated soil. The upper fertile soil layer is needed for falling asleep roots.
- Prepare a mixture of a bucket of compost / humus, 100 g of superphosphate, 500 ml of wood ash and fertile soil. Mix thoroughly.
- If the soil is sandy, add clay to the planting pit to make a layer of 2-3 cm. If the soil is clay and heavy - add 2.5 liters of river coarse sand, and most importantly, make drainage, for example, from broken brick. Drainage thickness - 15 cm.
Landing
If the place is prepared in advance, and the weather is favorable, proceed to planting seedlings in the ground. But do not forget to prepare them in advance.
If the seedling is grown in a container, place it in water for 10-20 minutes. Instances without an earthen coma - with an open root system, soak in water for 24 hours, and immediately before planting, dip in a liquid manure-clay mixture.
The order of landing yoshta in the ground:
- Inspect the root system of seedlings. Trim dry and damaged roots. Make cross sections so that the wounds are smaller. Try to keep the maximum number of suction roots.
- Pour 2-3 buckets of water into the pit.
- When the water is completely absorbed, place a seedling in the center of the pit and spread its roots, put a support next to it.
- Spread out the roots of the seedling and set it so that the root collar is a couple of centimeters above ground level.
- Tie the yoshta to the support with soft twine and fill the hole with fertile soil obtained during digging. Compact the soil slightly and water again.
- Shorten the shoots, leaving no more than 3-4 buds.
If the planting is not done correctly, there will be voids between the roots of the seedling, which will subsequently cause the soil to settle. This will lead to a deepening of the root collar, it can resist, and the plant will die.
Care Rules
Caring for yoshta is not difficult even for the most inexperienced gardeners. The main activities are feeding and watering. Periodically, yoshta bushes have to be loosened, sprayed and trimmed.
Watering
Yoshta loves moisture and this often becomes its disadvantage - if a dry and hot summer is issued, and irrigation is interrupted. Water scarcity leads to stunted growth and development.
How to water yoshta:
- It is desirable that the soil is constantly slightly moist, so in hot summer conditions, water the plant vigorously. The soil should be soaked 40 cm.
- Pour water so that it does not fall on the bushes. Dig a ditch 10-15 cm deep and 20 cm wide along the circumference of the trunk circle, into which you pour water.
- The frequency of watering depends on the weather and the presence of mulch. The norm of water is 30 liters per 1 sq. m
After watering, the soil is loosened as soon as it dries out a little. If the land is mulched, then loosening is not needed.
Top dressing
Yoshta can grow without feeding, especially if it is used as a hedge. But, if the grower is counting on a good harvest, the crop is fed several times during the season.
How to feed yoshta:
- In the spring, after the snow melts, apply nitrogen-containing fertilizer - urea or nitrate (40-50 g per 1 sq. M). Or superphosphate (30 g) in combination with potassium sulfate (20 g). These fertilizers will provide enhanced green mass growth.
- After flowering, about the beginning of summer, add a solution of potassium monophosphate - 10-15 g per 1 sq. m. In summer, yoshta can receive additional nutrition from organic mulch.
- In July, feed the bushes with organic matter - mullein or bird droppings (1 liter per 1 sq. M).
- In autumn, after the berries are harvested, add superphosphate (30 g per 1 sq. M) or humus - (2 buckets per 1 sq. M).
As the bush grows, the dose of dressing changes slightly. Starting from the 4th year of life, more potash fertilizers are applied, and less phosphorus.
Pollination
Near yoshta, gardeners often plant a bush of currants or gooseberries - for pollination and good fruiting. Yoshta is a partially self-fertile plant, so the yield depends on the presence of pollinating plants.
For yoshta, the best pollinators are representatives of parental forms - various varieties of gooseberries and black currants.
Pruning and shaping the bush
Yoshta does not need pruning, but gardeners still have to deal with this procedure.
Cropping Features:
- In the spring, sanitary pruning is carried out - damaged, dry and diseased branches are removed. Shorten healthy shoots if they are slightly frozen. The procedure is carried out in April, before the kidneys open.
- Shoots that have reached 7-8 years of age are shortened, leaving 6-8 buds.
- In the fall, repeated sanitary pruning is performed. Do this immediately after the transition of the plant to dormancy - in October-November. Broken branches are removed, as well as shoots affected by glass moths - the larvae of this butterfly gnaw the shoots from the inside.
Yoshta, grown for hedges, is cut to form the desired shape.
Mulching
Shelter the soil with natural materials gardeners call mulching. Thanks to this simple agrotechnical measure, it is possible to solve several problems at once.
Pros of mulching:
- by reducing the evaporation of water, the frequency of irrigation is reduced;
- growth of weeds slows down - under a layer of mulch they grow much more slowly;
- overheating of the roots is prevented if light-colored mulch is used;
- if the soil is mulched with organic matter, then the plant receives additional nutrition from its overheating.
Mulching is used not only during the growing season, but also for wintering. A thick layer of mulch spreads the soil near the trunks, preventing it from freezing, weathering and leaching.
Gardeners use a variety of materials as organic mulch. The soil is covered with grass, hay, straw, shredded paper, sawdust, chopped cardboard, compost, bark, wood chips or leaves.
Inorganic materials are also used for mulching. They do not decompose and do not serve as additional nutrition for plants. But they do not attract slugs, mice and other pests.
Examples of inorganic mulch:
- gravel;
- pebbles;
- sand;
- geotextiles;
- nonwoven polypropylene materials.
Reproduction
Yoshta reproduces well by vegetative methods - division, layering and cuttings. Each gardener chooses the method that seems the most convenient and effective to him.
Division
By division, yoshta is propagated in the fall, and only when transplanting to a new place.
Breeding order by division:
- Dig a bush out of the ground. Shake the soil off the roots.
- Use a pruning shears or a sharp knife to cut the bush into pieces. Moreover, on each divide there should be 1-2 stems and well-developed roots.
- Sprinkle slices with crushed charcoal.
- Plant parts of the split bush in prepared holes.
Layers
Yoshta is propagated by horizontal and vertical layers. This is done in the spring, when the soil warms up well.
Order of propagation by layering:
- Bend a one- or two-year-old side branch to the ground in prepared furrows (depth - 10 cm). Secure with metal brackets.
- Sprinkle the branches with nutritious soil, and pinch the tops.
- Spud the shoots several times as they grow.
- In the fall, detach the layers from the mother bush and transplant to a permanent place.
Cuttings
To reproduce yoshts, green or lignified cuttings are used. The latter are cut from 2-4 year old branches at the end of September. The length of the cutting is 15-20 cm. The number of buds is 5-6 pieces. For harvesting, use the upper, unripe parts of the shoots.
Reproduction order by cuttings:
- Cut the shoots. Do the lower cut at an angle of 45 degrees, the upper - 1 cm above the kidney.
- Plant the cuttings in a dug garden. There should be partial shade. Add sand or vermiculite to clay soils - a bucket per 1 sq. m
- Stick the cuttings into the soil at an angle. The intervals between shoots are 10-15 cm. Pour and sprinkle with peat / compost to preserve moisture.
Take care of the planted cuttings - water, loosen, remove weeds. In the spring, the cuttings start to grow rapidly. Rooted seedlings are grown and transplanted to a permanent place.
Winter preparations
In regions with warm winters, yoshta is not sheltered for the winter - it safely tolerates wintering, since it has excellent frost resistance. In an area with severe winters, the culture has to be insulated.
How to prepare yoshta for wintering:
- Water the shrubs abundantly after harvest.
- Mulch the trunk circle with a thick layer of mulch (7-8 cm).
- 2-3 weeks before frost, cover the shrub trunks with an air-permeable covering material (for example, burlap or agrofibre).
- When the snow falls, grab the snowdrifts to the trunks of the bushes.
Diseases and pests
One of the goals of yoshta breeding is high immunity to diseases and pests. But even this shrub is not immune from all diseases, especially with poor care.
The most dangerous diseases of yoshta:
- Anthracnose. The main symptom of the disease is red-white spots on the leaves. Treatment - treatment with Bordeaux liquid.
- Powdery Mildew Usually affects weak shrubs. It is treated by Fitosporin.
- Terry. This disease causes a virus. It does not heal and manifests itself over time - within 4-5 years.
- Mosaic. The leaves are covered with yellow and brown spots. The bush dries and dies. Viral disease is not treated.
- Rust. Rusty spots form on the leaves. Affected bushes dry, leaves fall from them. They are treated with Fitosporin.
Most diseases can be prevented by preventive spraying. It is recommended to process bushes in early spring - before buds bloom, and in autumn - after foliage falls.
Means for preventive spraying:
- urea - 70 g per 1 liter of water;
- Bordeaux liquid - 1% solution;
- copper sulfate - 10 g per 1 liter.
Pests affecting yoshta:
- Kidney mite. This is the most dangerous pest, it carries viral diseases. The inflated kidneys are ripped off and burned - ticks sit in them.
- Aphid. Insects suck juices from leaves. They are twisted, branches are poorly developed. The bushes are sprayed with Fitosporin.
Harvesting and transportation
The berries ripen gradually, but their mass collection begins in mid-July, when the fruits reach biological maturity. Harvested in dry weather. The best time to pick berries is morning or evening. The berries are collected in a plastic or wood container.
Yoshta fruits, having a dense skin, not prone to cracking, tolerate transportation well. They do not choke, do not let the juice and do not lose their presentation. The main thing is not to put too large a layer of berries in the container, 15 cm is enough.
Features of the use and storage of yoshta:
- Berries are eaten fresh and processed. They are used to prepare jam, jams, compotes and other preparations.
- To keep the berries fresh, use freezing. The optimum storage temperature is minus 16 ° С. In such conditions, the berries are stored for about a year.
A hybrid of currants and gooseberries is controversial. Some gardeners respond with enthusiasm about it, while others believe that yoshta is inferior to parental forms - their taste, smell, appearance. In any case, this hardy plant deserves the close attention of our gardeners and summer residents.
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Russia. City Novosibirsk
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